Moncton’s Tide & Boar Opening A Brewery And Taproom Near Avenir Centre
MONCTON – The Tide & Boar is taking the brewery component of its business to the next level with new production capacity and taproom set to open on 1355 Main St., a few minutes walk from the Avenir Centre.
“This is a total expansion of our brewery which is currently at the Gastropub,” said owner Chad Steeves. “There will be a brewery that remains at the Gastropub, but we’re so limited on space that we can’t grow anymore with it. We’re maxed out and we need a bigger room.”
Tide & Boar’s business includes the Gastropub, Tide & Boar Brewing, event venue The Ballroom, bar and event venue, The Caveau, the dinner theatre and Duo Cafe – all located on 700 Main St. Steeves says all of those will remain at the current location.
Currently, Tide & Boar has a system that can brew around 117 litres of beer in one time. The new system will be 15 times larger. It will also have a canning line, allowing the company to sell growlers, crowlers, canned beers and bottled beers.
The expanded brewery and taproom will feel like other Tide & Boar establishments but serve different purposes, Steeves said.
“We don’t want to compete with the Gastropub. We want people to have reason to go to the Gastropub and a reason to go to the brewery, and we want the reason to be different,” he said. “The idea right now is [the taproom is] going to be more of a neighborhood pub. We want people to come in, relax, play some games, eat some food, drink some beer or stop in and grab a beer to go.”
The menu for food is still being developed, but Steeves said it will cover “a bit of both” snacks and meals.
“You can come in and feel full when you leave. But you can also come in and share with a bunch of friends. Help you get your beer down kind of thing,” he said.
Compared to the 700 Main St. location, the new spot will be just at the edge of the downtown core. Steeves said he had been looking at the so-called “old West End” of Moncton for the brewery for a couple of years when 1355 Main St., which has parking spots, became available.
“With the new hotels going in [downtown], Avenir, the new condominium at Tannery Place, plus, I used to live in the old West End and they have a neighbourhood full of great people, it’s a really good spot,” he said.
The business decision to expand the brewery is also backed by a growth in craft alcohol consumption.
“We’ve had a brewery now for four years already but it’s been kind of a benefit to coming into the Gastropub. So, I feel like there’s room for more,” he said.
“If you look at the number of people that used to drink macro beers that no longer do, and now only drink craft, that continues to grow all the time because they taste the difference…And I find people that are new to drinking beer are just skipping the whole macro thing and going straight to craft.”
To help build support for the expansion, the company has special offerings, including a pizza party with two free beers the week before the official opening, and a chance to create your own beer with Steeves.
Renovations have started at the new spot, and Steeves is hoping to be able to open it in two-to-three months.